5 Different Methods of Liquid Waste Disposal

Incorrect disposal of liquid waste can cause harm to the environment. It can also affect the health and safety of both humans and animals. When it comes in contact with humans, animals or plants, liquid waste can be very harmful.

Disposing of such waste is a delicate process that involves employing various liquid waste management methods. Appropriately disposing of liquid waste, therefore, calls for extreme care and accurate handling, especially where hazardous liquid waste is involved. Below are different methods of disposing of liquid waste.

1. Using Reagents to Disposal Liquid Waste

The traditional way of disposing liquid waste has been through the use of prohibitive vacuum trucks that collect liquid waste and transport it to a transfer station from where it is sorted and segregated and then transported to landfills. The problem with this method is that it increases liquid waste volumes.

The most effective method of disposing waste is by solidifying it using reagents. After solidifying, the reduced waste can then be safely disposed of. In solidified form, liquid waste becomes safe to dispose of as opposed to the highly hazardous liquid waste. Besides being landfill-friendly, solidified waste has very low humidity, reduces waste by up to 20%, and is easy and safe to transport, among other benefits.

2. Dewatering and Sedimentation

This method is ideally suited for treating non-hazardous liquids. Water is first extracted from the liquid waste to isolate solid compounds that are usually found in powder form. The liquid is first left to settle to allow the sediments to collect at the bottom. Once the solid compounds are isolated, the remaining water can be subjected to further treatment.

3. Incineration

This method of liquid waste disposal is commonly applied to hazardous liquid waste. It involves destroying solid waste components to make it less dangerous. It works by placing water in a controlled furnace to treat the liquid waste until it meets the legal requirements.

4. Root Zone

This method of liquid waste treatment is used to treat human generated liquid waste. Liquids amenable to this treatment method include water from sinks and baths. In spite of this method being a bit complicated, the biggest advantage is that the liquid waste can be fully recycled and safely reused.

5. Composting

Another method of treating liquid waste is composting, which can turn organic liquid waste into a fertilizer. Organic solid sediments are treated and converted into a fertilizer that is later used on farms to provide essential nutrients to crops.

After due consideration of all the above liquid waste disposal methods, use of reagents to treat waste before disposal is perhaps the best. The ability to solidify liquid waste has a number of advantages. First, as mentioned, it reduces the waste volume by up to 20% through solidification. Second, a potentially harmful liquid is converted into a fairly safe solid that can be easily transported and disposed of at landfills. Besides, many types of non-hazardous and hazardous liquid waste lend themselves to disposal via different blends of reagents that are easily available on the market.

The benefits of living in a safe environment where all are safe cannot be overstated. At the core of nature’s perfect balance of life lies mankind’s ability to ensure that any waste produced is safely and properly disposed of. Inappropriate disposal of liquid waste can attract heavy penalties from the government. It can also damage the image of a company and attract a lot of negative attention from the media and environmental rights groups.

It is important to understand which types of liquid should be treated using which disposal method. This is the first step in ensuring that the environment is fully protected and that both humans and animals are protected from harm.